8 replies to this topic

[richie]

Life Through The Lens

In the 1950s, a young and ambitious racing driver called David Clark fell in love with film. After buying the latest camera he proceeded to shoot everything that he saw – from his early races with Stirling Moss to the factory outing to Skegness.

A DVD is available of his pictures but what's his CV?

[f1steveuk]

Could this be the Dave Clark that ran the Long Barn Motor Museum in Sussex, who now hires cars for films, and owns all the original bodywork for the Amon AF1/01??

[Macca]

No, Clarke with an E - see:

http://www.bbc.co.uk..._the_lens.shtml

Owned Graypaul Motors for years (built up two 1960 F1 Ferrari replicas using genuine works engines for Antony Bamford based on his real car), owned Ferrari P4 s/n 0856 and P2/3 s/n 0826 - sold everything to start his charitable foundation - died on a steam-hauled train on the Great Central Railway, another organisation to whom he provided great support.

Top bloke.....................

Paul M

[richie]

Macca you're a top bloke.

[Doug Nye]

This is David Clarke (deceased) - very nice man, deeply into steam railway preservation, racing cars and motor sport in general and Ferraris in particular. Used to worry himself sick during the later years of his P4 ownership, fire-watching all night around November 5 each year in case something might ignite the building in which the car was housed. David made very considerable donations to charities, and was deeply involved in provision of care for the elderly. Raced a Frazer Nash Le Mans Replica during the early to mid 1950s.

DCN

[lil'chris]

IIRC there was 1/2 hr programme devoted to him a couple of years ago in the UK, possibly on Channel 4

[hipperson]

He purchased a Ferrari 250GTO #3869GT from a friend , Karl Richardson, in 1966 for £4,200.
Karl had paid £2500 in 1964.
Made space in Karl's garage for NNO 14C...Chassis P/1014 GT40.

Made a fortune in packaging...........

[Doug Nye]

Clarke's Boxes, shoe-box suppliers to the contemporarily vast Leicester shoe industry, was the family firm.

DCN

[simonlewisbooks]

Originally posted by lil'chris
IIRC there was 1/2 hr programme devoted to him a couple of years ago in the UK, possibly on Channel 4

Saw that, excellent programme and full of film shot by the man himself of his various Ferraris and comment from his mate Stirling Moss.

Intriguing to think of anyone opening a Ferrari dealership as a hobby, which in effect it was!

Clarke seems to have kept himself quietly in the shadows doing very good work, for many years, out of the goodness of his heart and using his considerable fortune to enhance the lives of many others. If only there were more like him. A rare human being and as Macca says , a top bloke.